Biography
Viele was born in Waterford, New York (Saratoga County), a son of Kathline Schuyler (Knickerbacker) and State Senator John L. Viele. He graduated with honors from The Albany Academy and studied law briefly before entering the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He graduated on July 1, 1847, and was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the Second United States Infantry.
He served in the Mexican-American War and was promoted to second lieutenant in the First United States Infantry on September 8, 1847. From 1848 to 1849 he was assigned to establish a military camp at Laredo, Texas, which was named "Camp Crawford." Viele married Teresa Griffin on June 3, 1850, and was promoted to first lieutenant on October 26 the same year. He resigned from the service in 1853 to become a civil and military engineer.
He received an appointment as State Engineer of New Jersey in 1855 with a commission to conduct a topographical survey of the state. He also surveyed the environs that would become Central Park and submitted a design proposal. A competition was held which was awarded to "the Greensward Plan" from Olmsted & Vaux. Viele was appointed engineer-in-chief of Central Park in 1856, and engineer of Prospect Park, Brooklyn in 1860.
Viele was a captain in the Engineer Corps of the Seventh New York Regiment in 1860, and brigadier general of United States Volunteers in 1861, at the beginning of the Civil War. He commanded forces on the Savannah River during the siege of Fort Pulaski and was appointed Military Governor of Norfolk, Virginia, in 1862. He resigned from service on October 20, 1863, to again engage in civil engineering.
He was a President of the Aztec Club of 1847.
Read more about this topic: Egbert Ludovicus Viele
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